Differentiated Instruction

1. Differentiated Instruction An Overview

2. Consensogram 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Using one red dot per chart, indicate your current level of understanding on a scale of 0% - 100%

3. Data Questions • Use the following questions to analyze our consensogram data: • What question are we trying to answer? • What do the data seem to tell us? • What don’t the data tell us? What else might we want to know? • What good news is here for us to celebrate? From Getting Excited About Data, Edie Holcomb www.corwinpress.com

4. Differentiated Instruction Topics for Today: • The What and Why • Ideas for How • Classroom Considerations • Sample Activities • Additional Resources

5. “The fact that students differ may be inconvenient, but it is inescapable. Adapting to that diversity is the inevitable price of productivity, high standards, and fairness to kids.” DI is NOT • Individualized instruction of the 70’s • Chaotic • Just another way to provide homogeneous grouping

6. Differentiated Instruction IS • Proactive • Qualitative • Rooted in assessment • Provides multiple approaches to understanding • Student centered • A blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction • Organic

7. Why Differentiate • One size fits all instruction does not address the needs of many students. • Kids come in different shapes and sizes as well as interests, learning profiles, and readiness levels. “Differentiated Instruction is not simply giving a ‘normal’ assignment to most students and “different” assignments to students who are struggling or advanced.”

8. Potential Issues of “Advanced” Learners • Can become mentally lazy, even though they do well in school • May think grades are more important than ideas • May become perfectionists • May fail to develop a sense of self-efficacy • May fail to develop study and coping skills

9. Addressing Struggling Learners’ Needs • Look for the positives and build upon them • Don’t let what’s “broken” extinguish what “works” • Pay attention to relevance • Go for powerful learning (big ideas, key concepts, governing principles) • Teach up (a little beyond what you think they can accomplish) • Use many avenues to learning

10. Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. • Fairness means everyone gets what he/she needs.

11. Principles of a Differentiated Classroom • Respectful work for all • Continual engagement & challenge for each learner • Flexible groupings • Flexible time use • Variety of management strategies • Clear criteria and assessments

13. Sample Activity for Differentiating by Content & Readiness Famous InventorsActivity(SS.B.2.4 The student understands the interactions of people and the physical environment.) • Individually read your article, highlighting important facts. • As a group, create a chart like below on your inventor. All group members must contribute at least one item to the chart. • Each group will present chart to class. • Each student will complete the Famous Inventors Fact Sheet. • Test on Famous Inventors on Tuesday. Inventor’s Name

14. Let’s Debrief… • Differentiated by content & readiness (of reading level) • Everyone can participate and be successful • Peer support/teaching is evidenced • All students held to same expected outcome (SS.B.2.4 and take test)

15. Tiered Lesson Plans are one tool for Planning Differentiated Instruction • Readiness(Each layer represents a level or depth of study on a topic) Tier 1 - Basic knowledge, understanding Tier 2 – Application, problem solving Tier 3 – Critical thinking, analysis • Interests(Each layer represents a different topic) Tier 1 - “Observing Siamese Fighting Fish” Tier 2 – “Getting Antsy” Tier 3 – “Analyzing a Mountain Gorilla Family Tree” • Learning Profile(Each layer represents a different activity) Tier 1 – research paper Tier 2 – persuasive speech Tier 3 – web site

16. Classroom Considerations • Time for Planning and Assessments • Grading • Classroom Management (transitions) • Classroom Environment (coaching, mutual respect, fairness)

17. Grading! • The secret………rubrics!! • Points vary by complexity of assignment • Students can choose any number of assignments for any combination of points OR • Teacher determines how many assignments at which levels based on student needs

18. Steps to Initiating DI

19. A Traditional Classroom Compared with A Differentiated Classroom Sort the cards into two (2) piles, one for characteristics of a traditional classroom and one for characteristics of a differentiated classroom.

20. Activities Can be High Prep such as… • Tiered Products • Multiple texts • Reading passages by readiness • Interest centers • Choice Boards • Think-Tac-Toe…

21. Think-Tac-Toe

22. Activities Can be Low Prep such as: • Choices of books • Homework option • Varied journal prompts • Varied computer programs • Explorations • Roulette • Response cards • Exit cards…

23. ROULETTE DIRECTIONS: • Each person in a group picks out one word about the famous person • Each person writes a sentence using that word to appropriately describe the famous person • The group passes one sheet of paper around and each time it is passed the person adds her/his sentence • Read aloud to the group

24. RESPONSE CARDS Cards or small boards that are simultaneously held up by students in a class that indicate the answer to a question posed to the class. Each student is expected to answer every question---rather than to sit throughout the class period waiting for the one or two times he or she may be called upon to respond to the teacher’s question.

25. Benefits of Response Cards Increases Also . . . • Assists teachers in monitoring student progress • Provides immediate feedback to teacher and students • Is highly motivating and fun • Participation level of all students • Opportunity for students to learn from each other • On-task behavior • Learning

27. RESPONSE CARDS Let’s do an activity using response cards… Directions: • Pass out response card and clothes pin to each person • Use the clothes pin to mark your answer as the facilitator shows you various “fraction” pictures (*notice: there is no need for verbal response)

28. RESPONSE CARDS • The teacher is able to quickly “survey” the room and see who understands and who doesn’t • Cooperative groups can first discuss an answer and students learn from each other in teachable moments • The teacher is interacting with the whole group by NOT calling on one student at a time to give an answer

29. Features of Technology that Support Differentiated Instruction For Teachers: • TONS of web resources (articles, tiered plans) • Time savers (software) For Students: • Collaboration, communication, organization skills • Learning styles and sensory learning • Choices • Authentic Learning

30. Sample Web Resource Sample Tiered Lesson Plans • http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/exceptional/gt/tiered_curriculum/welcome.html • K-12 • Differentiated byReadiness, Interest, and Learning Styles • In Math, Science, and Language Arts

31. Ideas for Using Software • Word or excel to create response cards, tic-tac-toe boards, choice boards, etc. • Powerpoint to create e-centers • Access for creating test banks • EdGate to create websites for teacher to post and/or students to post, share products & information

32. “The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects in the same way.” --Howard Gardner

33. ABC’s of Teaching Students with Diverse Academic Needs… • A positive ATTITUDE that says ALL students in my class will be actively engaged in learning • A BELIEF that it is appropriate to make instructional accommodations for ALL students who need it • A COMMITMENT to high (NOT same) expectations for ALL learners

34. “At times, learning a new concept can look as intimidating as the beltway looks for a new driver. Teachers have the task of providing a variety of paths for learning– not every student will be ready for the “beltway”.”

35. “Educators should not decide on a single path of learning for certain students. At any time a learner may desire a change of pace.”

36. “Some may prefer the fast paced beltway, while others take the scenic route. Both drivers reach the same place. As learners we all have different preferences for paths of learning, but we can all achieve the same understanding”

37. “No two zebras have patterns that are exactly alike. The same is true for students. No two approaches to learning are ever exactly the same!”

38. “We do not know of a single standard student, why do we develop a single standard way of teaching?”

39. “If two students can reach the same understanding……. …..what does it matter if one student takes the shortcut and another takes the long road?”

40. “Sometimes students are equipped with the prior knowledge that prepares them for the fast track toward understanding.”

41. “We all had moments in our learning experiences in which we needed To take the long road toward understanding.”

42. Consensogram 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Using one blue dot per chart, indicate your current level of understanding on a scale of 0% - 100%

43. Exit Cards Exit cards (AKA “Tickets Out The Door”) are used to gather information on student readiness levels, interests, and/or learning profiles. The teacher hands out index cards to students at the end of an instructional sequence or class period. The teacher asks the students to respond to a pre-determined prompt on their index cards and then turn them in as they leave the classroom or transition to another subject. The teacher reviews the student responses and separates the cards into instructional groups based on present criteria.

44. Can sort into Readiness Groups Group 1 Students who are struggling with the concept or skill Group 2 Students with some understanding of the concept or skill Group 3 Students who understand the concept or skill

45. Sample Exit Cards We have been learning about the Greenhouse Effect. Explain your understanding of this important environmental issue. What questions do you have about this project? Explain the difference between simile and metaphor. Give some examples of each as part of your explanation.

46. Exit Cards for Today’s Course • What is Differentiated Instruction? • How (in what ways) can teachers Differentiate Instruction? • Give an example of how technology can be used to assist with Differentiated Instruction (to assist the teacher or students). • What additional information/resources would you like on Differentiated Instruction?

47. References & Resources • Nunley, Kathie F., Six Simple Steps to Layered Curriculum™ http://help4teachers.com (free and copy-right free resources for layering the curriculum, mostly middle and high school levels) • http://www.smcm.edu/academics/EdStudy/d7%2DProj/Projects/ResearchSites/acbrowning/index.htm ( “beltway” to learning story) • Florida Inclusion Network www.floridainclusionnetwork.com • Tomlinson, Carol Ann. How To Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms, 2nd Edition. • Benjamin, Amy. Differentiated Instruction Using Technology.